Blue Devils plan to find roles for versatile player

By Bob Sutton / Times-News

Published: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 01:00 AM.

Connette said he studied video of his past roles with the Blue Devils to understand how those fit into the offense. He attends the team’s quarterbacks and special teams meetings, allowing the information to filter from there regarding his other roles.

Among his responsibilities this preseason, he said, has been serving as a mentor to freshman quarterback Parker Boehme.

Connette is coming off January surgery on his left shoulder, meaning he didn’t participate in spring contact workouts. He has had both shoulders separated since arriving at Duke.

■ Duke named quarterback Anthony Boone, cornerback Ross Cockrell, defensive end Justin Foxx and offensive guard David Harding its team captains in an announcement made Saturday. The captains were elected by their teammates, according to the school.

DURHAM — Brandon Connette didn’t have much of a chance to compete for the starting quarterback position at Duke.

He didn’t need to.

The redshirt junior who has helped define the term “versatile” with the Blue Devils will be involved in what Duke does offensively. It’s just difficult to define what that will be.

Connette refers to his place in the offense as “kind of a filler position.”

“Brandon Connette is too valuable to this team at this point and time not to play him,” coach David Cutcliffe said.

When the Blue Devils open the season Aug. 31 against visiting North Carolina Central, the first-string quarterback will be Anthony Boone. He ascended to the starting quarterback spot with Sean Renfree out of eligibility after the 2012 Belk Bowl.

Connette became an integral part of the offense in two of the past three seasons — with an injury ending his 2011 season after two games, resulting in a redshirt season.

With 17 rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, it makes him one of the most prolific returning players on the roster. He also has thrown three touchdown passes, but running the ball tends to be his niche in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He led the Blue Devils in rushing touchdowns in 2010 and 2012.

Connette, a 225-pounder, also will line up in the slot and could be on the field in the backfield or in the role of tight end.

“I really like just being on the field,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun for me. I’m a really competitive guy. I just look for wherever I can fit in on the team and whatever role I can play.”

Because he came on board at Duke as a quarterback, he has learned the offense from that perspective. That’s a bonus because an offshoot of that is understanding roles of other positions.

“Whenever I went to be a tight end or fullback, I knew what they were doing,” Connette said. “I just had to physically get the repetitions in to be able to do it.”

This season, Cutcliffe said there are no limitations on what the Blue Devils can do with Connette in the game, even if he’s serving as quarterback.

“Now, Brandon has our whole offense at his beck and call,” Cutcliffe said. “… You can’t have enough people that know how to play quarterback and who are also really good players and can show up in a lot of places.”

Connette said he studied video of his past roles with the Blue Devils to understand how those fit into the offense. He attends the team’s quarterbacks and special teams meetings, allowing the information to filter from there regarding his other roles.

Among his responsibilities this preseason, he said, has been serving as a mentor to freshman quarterback Parker Boehme.

Connette is coming off January surgery on his left shoulder, meaning he didn’t participate in spring contact workouts. He has had both shoulders separated since arriving at Duke.

■ Duke named quarterback Anthony Boone, cornerback Ross Cockrell, defensive end Justin Foxx and offensive guard David Harding its team captains in an announcement made Saturday. The captains were elected by their teammates, according to the school.